Interlude
by K.haosprinz
Summary: A few moments between Kakashi and Naruto where much is shared with few words. Teacher/Student-Relationship with deep bonds. Rated for a tiny little bit of swearing and mentions of death and violence. Spoiler alert if you're not familiar with the Manga.


Naruto felt awful. Not only because he was hurting all over his body, but because he had_ failed_. He had promised to bring him back, not only to Sakura, but to himself as well, and now he had _failed_. He had failed Sasuke as well.  
The blonde boy sat in his dark apartment and couldn't really keep his mind together. He wanted to scream, to cry, to punch and to laugh maniacally until he fainted, and when he woke up again find everything had just been a nightmare. He wished so badly it was just a dream, and as soon as he opened his eyes, the sun would shine, he would get ready for another boring D-Rank mission and he would meet up with Sakura and Sasuke to wait for their lazy sensei.

But he knew this was bitter reality, otherwise his chest wouldn't _hurt_ so badly. He reached up to touch the spot below his collarbone just above his heart where his best friend had thrust his hand through his ribcage, nearly killing him in the process. In fact, if it weren't for the fox demon sealed inside him, he would have died.  
Naruto tightly clenched his eyes shut. While the pain from this wound would go away some time, the pain _inside_ his chest would not. Not until Sasuke was back to where he belonged. Not only this village, but at his side as well.

Naruto abruptly stood. He needed to get out of here, to get some fresh air. Without even bothering to look at his orange jacket, he left his small apartment and went for a walk to ease the anguish that was boiling inside his soul.  
The night was clear and cool, no clouds could be seen in the starry sky. No people could be seen, either. All of them were lying in their beds, sleeping blissfully without even comprehending what exactly had happened that left one well known teenager sleepless that very night. The blond just wandered around the streets, not paying attention to where his feet would carry him, too lost in his own twisting thoughts.  
He didn't know how much time had passed when Naruto finally regained some of his senses. He looked up and found himself in front of a building he had often seen, but never entered. It was an apartment complex very much like his own, but in a far better shape. He knew some of the Jōnin of the village lived here. Kakashi-sensei as well.

A small frown appeared on his face. Why had he come here, of all places? But since he didn't want to think about such trivial things like that right now, he simply shrugged it off, turned around and walked away again. He still wasn't in check with his emotions, but he needed to be in order to bring his best friend back someday. Like if he'd give up now...

Copy ninja Hatake Kakashi sat on his bed, trying to actually understand the words he was reading and failing miserably. There was so much on his mind, and he couldn't keep himself from glancing to the photograph on his bedside table every now and then. Team 7.  
A small sigh escaped his lips. He couldn't help himself, he felt responsible for what had happened in the Valley of the End... for Sasuke's leaving. The Jōnin wondered if he could have done something to prevent these things from happening. Not only had one of his students left, but he had nearly lost another one forever. It had been a long time since the last time he had felt so utterly devastated like when he had when he had seen a blood-soaked and unconscious Naruto on the ground, with a hole in his chest.

He closed his eye and another sigh escaped his lips. He wondered how Naruto coped. He had seen enough of his two students to know that the had shared an incredibly deep bond, and he was sure the blond had held it in high regards. And now... it was gone.  
Kakashi closed the orange book in his hand and stood up from the place in his bed where he had been sitting, clad in only his dark shinobi pants and a tight, sleeveless shirt with the usual piece of cloth covering his face. His hitai-ate lay on the dresser in his small bedroom, next to his weapon pouch. He silently walked into his kitchen and decided to pour himself a cup of tea. Even though he seemed emotionless most of the time, he was a human being and had just as many emotions as others had. Right now, those emotions were running amok in his mind, and while he was mentally and physically exhausted, he did not feel the same way physically. He briefly wondered if he should pay his student a visit, but quickly shook his head. If Naruto was sleeping he didn't want to disturb him, and if not... well, Kakashi hoped the blond knew he could come to him anytime. Being a sensei meant more than just teaching Jutsu to children, a lesson he had learned the hard way.

A humourless chuckle escaped his lips while he poured some hot water into the cup before him. It was a hard lesson indeed... After Minato-sensei had learned of his father's, Hatake Sakumo, death, he had rushed to his student's house, more or less kidnapped the strangely emotionless eight-year old Chūnin and refused to let the boy go before they had a talk. It took him four days to convince the older male to let him out of his house again.  
_Sensei... I'm sorry. I guess I failed again, ne? But this time I failed your son... I wonder what you'd do if you were in my place now._  
Letting his thoughts go where they wanted to, he took the steaming mug and went back to sit at his desk. Since he wasn't going to sleep anytime soon, he might as well do something useful. Tsunade-sama still needed his report from the last mission, after all, even if he should have given it to her quite some time ago.

After some hours of aimless wandering around the streets of Konoha, Naruto found himself once more in front of his sensei's apartment. His blue eyes were distant now. He stood there for a while, lost in his thoughts, and simply stared at the building in front of him. Without even really realizing it, he moved again, but this time he went inside the building. Climbing up chairs he didn't stop until he stood in front of his sensei's door. Like some kind of robot, he lifted his hand and hesitantly knocked on the wooden door.

Kakashi glared at the innocent scroll lying in front of him. He was so distracted he couldn't even write a decent report! Emptying his third cup of tea, he just let the pen drop on the table and pushed the scroll away. The Hokage would have to wait even longer, then.  
Leaning back and closing his normal eye, he wondered what would happen to his team now. Genin-teams consisted of three Genin and one Jōnin, if they were to continue like before, they'd need a replacement. He somehow had the feeling that neither Sakura nor Naruto were going to like that idea. The poor kid that was going to replace Sasuke...

A quiet knock on his door interrupted his musings and he arched an eyebrow. Since it was still dark outside and the ANBU didn't bother knocking unless it wasn't urgent, there was only one possibility of who exactly could his unexpected (Unexpected? Not really...) visitor be... A tiny little bit of pride filled him, and he remorsefully opened his eye. This was not the time to feel proud about a student trusting him enough to come for his company when he felt distressed.  
In one swift motion, Kakashi stood and went to the wooden door to open it. Behind it, Naruto stared on the floor, and neither of the two poke or moved. Minutes passed, both of them not caring about the chilly air surrounding them, until the blond finally lifted his gaze and the older male could feel something shatter in his heart.  
These blue eyes, usually filled with mischief, determination and so much more, were now empty apart from the tears that weren't quite there, but threatening to spill anytime now. The silver haired male slowly reached out towards his student, carefully placing his hands onto the smaller one's shoulders, and pulled him just as carefully into a tender embrace.

Naruto didn't know what to say, he didn't even know if he actually wanted to say something, so he simply stood there, face pressed into the fabric covering his sensei's abdomen. He could feel the hard muscles beneath his cheek, and the hands on his back and in his hair. _Sensei is warm._ was the first thought that came to his mind, and for some reason the burning in his eyes he had managed to control and ignore over the last few hours intensified. He felt his legs becoming weaker and he raised his shaking arms, grasping Kakashi's shirt to steady himself. He didn't want to cry, no he didn't. He wouldn't. He couldn't...  
He tightly shut his blue eyes when he felt the first tears forming in them and took a shaky breath. The arms around his small frame tightened, and when the first drop of salty water escaped from his tightly shut lids, every bit of the resolve he had somehow mustered this night collapsed. A small sob escaped his lips and Naruto knew he started shaking. More tears followed, and so did the sobs. In a matter of seconds he was reduced to a crying, anguished child clinging to the only person in this village that could relate to his pain and console him.

They just stood there, student and teacher, the former desperately holding onto the latter. Kakashi didn't say anything. He didn't _know_ what he should say, and instead he simply held the weeping child close to his body. He gently ran a hand through the blonde hair and didn't care about the fact they stood in his doorway with the cold night biting at their skin. He didn't care about the wet stain on his stomach, growing bigger and bigger. He didn't care that it was the middle of the night and that they both should be sleeping. All he cared about was the small, pained boy in his arms that currently cried his very heart out.

After some time, they both didn't know and didn't care how much time, Naruto slowly calmed down and his trembling body stilled. However, they remained in the same position they had been in for the last time, both letting the last waves of their grief be washed away by the cool breeze and mute companionship. Kakashi, finally coming to his senses, remembered that it was rather cold and he didn't want either of them to get sick, gently moved backwards, leading them both into his apartment without letting go of the young boy. He just kicked the door shut and led them both to the brown couch in the flat. He reluctantly loosened his grip on Naruto as he sat down, only to pull him with the Jōnin onto the soft cushion. And now they simply sat there, Kakashi with one arm around the blonde who had curled up at his side and rested his head on the taller man's firm shoulder. His eyes were a darker shade of blue now, rimmed with red lines, and they stared unfocused into space. Naruto was exhausted, but he felt somewhat content and at ease. They stayed like this until the sun rose, neither of them saying a word, until the blonde slowly pulled away from his sensei, and with one last, small smile he silently left the apartment to head to his own, all the while being carefully watched by the older male.

They never said one word about that evening, it was their little secret. A secret in which they both could find a silent companion who didn't ask unnecessary questions and simply granted company.

* * *

A long time passed until Naruto would again stand in front of his teacher's door after the sun had set. In fact, it wasn't until he returned from his trip with Jiraiya and beat Kakashi in the chase for the small bells together with Sakura. The same evening they won, the blonde teenager sought his sensei out, not to seek comfort, but to be near the man he hadn't seen in more than three years.  
Naruto knocked on the wooden door like he had so long ago, a small smile gracing his lips. Only seconds later he could hear someone shuffling behind that door before it was finally opened. Kakashi looked down at his matured student, and a smile tugged at his lips. He had missed him, Konoha was far too quiet without him around. He wordlessly stepped aside, and the teen entered his apartment. Even though it was so very long ago he had last been here, it still looked the same, except for a plant standing in the corner of the small living room part having grown even larger. He paused in the middle of the room, waiting for his sensei to lead.  
Kakashi simply went past him into his bedroom, and Naruto followed. They sat down on the elder's bed, cross-legged, shoulders and knees touching. The Jōnin picked up the green book he had been given by his companion, who just sat there, a small smile gracing his lips. The blonde tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling.

They stayed like this for hours, not one word leaving their lips, for they didn't need those. They were both simply happy they were alive, well and most importantly able to share this moment of comfortable silence. No words were needed for those two men to share everything they wanted to share. A mutual understanding, a rare thing to be seen. Occasionally one would leave the room to return with two cups of steaming tea, but that was all.  
When the sun started showing itself again after many, many hours, Naruto would look at his sensei, a barely noticeable smile on his features and his eyes gleaming with simple contentment. One dark eye stared back, slowly closing and showing the same amount of the same emotion, without needing to show more of his face. Kakashi silently put a hand on his student's shoulder and squeezed, and Naruto put a hand on the other's knee and squeezed as well before he got up and left the apartment again.

* * *

Only a few days later, Naruto found himself in a desperate need of his sensei. They had just returned from the Kaze no Kuni, a mission that had left the teen utterly shaken. Not only had he nearly lost one of those few people in this world who could truly relate to his pain and had become one of his most treasured friends, but his sensei, the Hatake Kakashi, Copy Ninja and Master of the Sharingan, returned in a so bad shape from this mission that the blonde could practically hear the throbbing pain in his heart.  
He paced in his apartment. Kakashi was in the hospital now, recovering from his severe chakra exhaustion, and Naruto was _torn_. He wanted to see the older male so badly, to make sure he was okay, that could barely restrain himself from barging into the hospital to see the man. _But,_ the logical part of his mind scolded him, _He_ _needs_ _rest_.

With a moan, the teen glanced outside of his window and threw himself on his bed, biting into his pillow. The sun was still there, and somehow, no matter how badly he wanted to _be_ with his teacher, it felt somehow wrong to go to him while the sun was still out. They never said anything along the lines that these visits are to be at night time, but still... Glaring at his clock, Naruto chewed on the pillow in his mouth. If it only were night already... He knew he couldn't disturb Kakashi, but since that small logical part in his brain seemed to be shrinking, he'd made a decision. He just wanted to be near the man, to feel his chakra and to make sure he was still _alive_, and he didn't need to disturb the man for that, right?  
Impatiently waiting for the sun to go down, Naruto tried to distract himself by cleaning his apartment, putting the scattered clothes away and reading some scrolls, but as soon as the [i]_stupid, shining ball up there_ had disappeared, he just threw the scroll he had held in his hand away, opened his window and jumped onto the next rooftop. He quickly made his way to the hospital in the darkness. The streets were nearly empty, and those few fellows that were still outside either didn't see him or didn't pay attention to him. He felt somewhat grateful for that.

A few minutes later he found himself on a rooftop in front of the hospital. He stared at the windows, trying to figure out behind which his sensei lay. He visualized the structure, the path he'd take from the main entrance to the desired room and transferred it to the outside of the building. He wasn't good at sensing chakra signatures, all he could do was recognize them if they were nearby and didn't especially try to hide. He frowned. If his assumptions were right, Kakashi was in the room over there.  
Naruto silently stalked to the white wall in front of him and went it up to the window he deemed his goal. When he reached it, he carefully peaked inside. And indeed, he was right. The man he searched lay peacefully on the bed, hidden by the blanket covering everything but his closed eyes.  
The blonde stared a bit longer, relishing the fact he could feel the other's chakra, even though it was weak and unsettled. He turned his back to the room and sat down on the window sill, carefully crossing his legs. He didn't want to fall down and break his neck in the process.

The teen gazed up at the sky. Only few clouds were seen, and the stars were sparkling in the midnight blue above the village. It was cold, but he didn't care.  
Time passed and he didn't move. He ignored the pain in his legs for sitting so long in this position, He wouldn't go until the sun would show itself again, that was sure. He closed his eyes and a small sigh escaped his lips. It was plain _wrong_ to see this man, the strong, respected and feared Hatake Kakashi in such a state. He had always been so strong, always there to protect those he cared for with everything he had. And even though he didn't want to think about it, he wondered what he'd do if his sensei didn't return from a mission someday.  
He opened his blue eyes again when he felt the chakra behind him moving. A moment later, the window beside him was opened and from the corner of his eye, Naruto saw a small bit of silver hair.

Kakashi let his eye linger on his student for a moment. He knew the blonde was aware of his presence, and still he didn't even blink. The Jōnin rested his elbows on the window's frame beneath him. This boy sure was something special, after all, Kakashi wore nothing but a pair of loose pants, with his face revealed to everyone who happened to walk by. Naruto knew he was exposed, but out of respect he looked away. Kakashi looked at him fondly, the tiniest of smiles gracing his lips, revealing the reason why he had started wearing a mask over 25 years ago, before he too looked up at the star littered sky. Sure, he was tired, but it wasn't like he was exhausting himself right now, right? All he did was enjoying the fresh air outside.  
Naruto wondered where that determination came from that prevented him from looking at his sensei's face. This was one of the mysteries he wanted to solve so badly, so why wouldn't he use the chance now? He inwardly shrugged, it didn't care. Yes, he was curious, but he had matured as well. He'd wait for his teacher to show it to him, someday. At least he hoped the elder would, someday.

The moment the now light blue sky was infused with shining pink was the moment Naruto decided to leave. His sensei was still there, and somehow the blonde knew he wouldn't return to his bed until he left, and so he did.  
He stood, slightly wincing when his legs finally stretched, and simply jumped down from the sill onto the street beneath him. Kakashi watched him leave, and as soon as the blonde hair disappeared from his sight, the male leaned back and closed the window. He went back to bed and laid down, feeling calm and content, even though no words of comfort had been spoken by either of them.

* * *

The next time Naruto felt himself in dire need for his teacher's company came far too soon. He, Sakura, Sai and Yamato-taichō had just returned from their failed mission to bring Sasuke back. Again, he was waiting for the sun to set. At least Kakashi wasn't in the hospital anymore, which gave one small glimmer of light in the darkness that had risen in his mind. He shook his head, leaning against the wall of his shower in his apartment. He shouldn't think like that, that wasn't his style.  
Some time later he left the shower again, a towel on his wet hair. Immediately, he looked out of his window. The sky was painted red and golden, not only a wonderful sight but a sign as well. Getting dressed again, he thought about everything that had happened in the past few days.  
Sasuke had changed, and not for the better. Sure, he had always been surrounded with a cool aura, but now... The air around him was practically freezing. Naruto just hoped he hadn't wasted too much time to save his dearest friend from his own darkness.

As if opposing his former thoughts, he felt relief washing over him when it was finally dark outside. Naruto left his apartment and hurried to his sensei. A few minutes later he knocked at the familiar wooden door, slightly out of breath. A few seconds later the older male opened it and let his gaze linger on the blonde boy in front of him. Tenzō had already reported to Tsunade-sama, and she had told him.  
Guilt and sadness were gnawing at his soul again, but he shrugged it off. Or at least tried to.  
Incredibly blue eyes looked up to him and Kakashi felt himself moving out of the way so the teen could enter his sanctuary. The Jōnin closed the door again and put a hand on his student's shoulder, gently guiding him to his bedroom. They sat down on the bed next to each other, Naruto staring vacantly at the blue sheets on his bed. Kakashi sighed before crossing his legs and resting his back against the headboard. He looked at his student for a moment, noticing the far away discomposure in the teen's eyes. He then put an arm around his student's shoulder and slowly pulled him closer, so he leaned against his side, head on the uncovered shoulder.

After a long time, Kakashi felt something wet on his shoulder. The gaze of his one opened eye lingered on the blonde hair beneath him, noticing the lack of action. Naruto didn't sob or shake, he was perfectly still. Even his breathing remained normal. In fact, if it weren't for the wet stain appearing on his sleeveless shirt, one could think the boy was asleep.  
His gaze shifted to the wall in front of him. Somewhere deep inside of him the desire to cry as well arose, but that part of him had been buried long ago, together with his father, Obito and Rin.  
Instead, he mulled over his own thoughts, letting the younger male silently weep on his shoulder.

Hours passed until Naruto's tears finally stopped flowing. He didn't move though, craving for the contact to a person he could trust with both his life and his innermost feelings and thoughts. Sure, he trusted Iruka-sensei as well, but this was something he couldn't help the blonde with. For this, he _needed_ Kakashi-sensei, just like Kakashi needed him. Neither of them ever voiced this fact, but it were there nonetheless, known by the both of them. When dawn drew closer, Naruto retreated a bit, but still not letting go of the physical contact. He removed the arm draped around his shoulders and instead shifted to lean with his temples against the older one's upper arm, right on the tattoo the Jōnin had received at the tender age of 13. He grabbed the other's hand and kind of entwined their fingers.  
Kakashi's gaze shifted to his student again, eyebrows lifted in mild surprise. This was nothing he had expected, but when he looked at the blue eyes staring into nothingness, his expression softened. Naruto was completely distressed, haunted by guilt and doubts, and all he wanted right now was an anchor in this world that told him he was not useless. And so, in a rare moment of showing self-indicated affection, he lightly squeezed the hand in his own and moved a bit so he could lean his cloth-covered cheek on the blonde hair.

More hours passed, and when the first rays of sun broke through the dark sky, they slowly let go of each other. They shared one last gaze full of affection, reassurance and understanding, before Naruto left the place that had become a shelter for him to return to the outside world, with Kakashi staying in the same spot on his bed watching his student leave.

* * *

Months passed, and many things happened. Two of these things had left a heavy impact on the village. The first of them being the death of the legendary Sannin Jiraiya. Naruto hadn't gone to his teacher that evening, he couldn't have handled it. He was already anguished by his mentor's death, and he had feared he would have had a complete mental breakdown if he had seen Kakashi that day. Even the plain _thought_ of losing Kakashi had made his heart stop that day. And so he decided to stay alone, that is until Iruka-sensei had appeared.  
More time went by and Naruto trained his Sannin Mode at Mount Myōboku. Konoha was destroyed. Kakashi _dead_.  
When the blonde had asked Tsunade about the Jōnin's whereabouts after his return, it had taken all of his self-discipline and willpower to not let Kyūbi take over instantly. He had fought the six Pains, proudly standing his ground and intending to make all of them _suffer_ for his losses, but then things went down hill and Hinata - the shy, gentle Hinata - had saved his ass. Even told him she loved him. And then she _died as well_, or at least he had thought so.

Naruto had succumbed to the demon within him, instantly sprouting six of the nine tails. At least that's what Yamato-taichō had told him. The next thing he remembered was his talk with the Yondaime Hokage, his father. He had defeated the last Pain. He had talked to Nagato. And then, on his way home(?), the very same person he had thought lost forever had caught him and brought him back.

And now Naruto slowly went to the improvised wooden house his sensei lived in for the time being. When he arrived, he didn't bother knocking. He knew Kakashi was in there alone and awake. The blonde simply tore open the door, not caring about the loud bang when it hit the wall and fell shut again and threw himself into the other's arms. Startled by the other's sudden entrance in his kind-of-home, Kakashi couldn't keep his balance and they both crashed on the floor. He winced when his back hit the ground, he was a bit sore after all. He glanced at his student with a tiny little bit of astonishment, he'd figured the blonde would miss him quite a bit, but that much...? Naruto was nearly suffocating him with his embrace! And if he interpreted the pain in his sides right, the smaller male's fingernails were digging through the fabric of his shirt and into his skin. He put his hands on the blonde's shoulders when he suddenly heard footsteps outside. He inwardly sighed, of course someone would come looking when Naruto made en entrance like that. The door was forcefully opened and there he stood, Yamato-taichō. With a kunai in his hand, the man frantically looked around the hut in search for an enemy. He knew Kakashi-senpai could handle himself, but still...  
And then his eyes fell on the pair on the floor and his jaw joined them.

Kakashi lifted his hand and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. He wasn't ashamed of being close to Naruto, but well... He did have a reputation, right? He laughed awkwardly.  
"Maa, maa, Yamato... Nice evening, huh?"  
Yamato opened his mouth to say something, but the words stuck in his throat when he saw Naruto glaring at him. Not the usual kind of glare, no, the kind that promised you the slowest and most painful death imaginable. The ANBU gulped.  
"Yes, uhm... very nice... I'll, uh... leave..."  
He quickly turned around and hurried out of the hut, closing the door behind him.

Naruto glared at the door for another moment and Kakashi somehow expected it to catch fire. After a while the blue eyes softened again and the blonde put his head back on the chest below him. The Jōnin observed him, gently putting his hands on the teen's back. The arms around him tightened even more and Kakashi was sure he could hear one of his ribs cracking.  
"Maa, Naruto. You're crushing me", he informed the younger male softly, "and to be honest, the ground is kind of uncomfortable."  
Naruto grunted in response, a noise frighteningly similar to the sound Sasuke usually made, but his grip loosened nonetheless. And after a few more seconds, he let go of his sensei, pulling the older male with him as he stood up. Without even asking, the blonde dragged him to the simple bed in the corner of the room, an act that made Kakashi raise his visible eyebrow. His student usually waited for him to lead.  
The teen stopped and made a move as to shove the Jōnin onto the bed, but a hand stopped him. The older male chuckled gently before he removed the weapon pouch around his thigh, the flak jacket and his hitai-ate. Letting the things drop to the floor, he sat on the bed and smiled to the boy in front of him.  
Said boy looked at him for a moment, mulled for a second and finally shrugged before he pushed his sensei onto the cushion and tackled him once again. The chuckling turned into laughter, even though Kakashi couldn't suppress the small "oof" that escaped him when more than 110 pounds threw themselves on top of him.

Naruto snaked his arms again around the other's waist and smiled sadly when he felt hands on his back. If he could, he'd never let go of that man again to prevent him from getting hurt ever again, but knew that was nonsense. All he could do was ending the whole Akatsuki ordeal so they could have a little peace. Sure, there were still going to be missions, but they seemed like a walk in the park in comparison with the fights they'd had with the guys who were after him. That man under him had already died once, and even though he had returned, the blonde was not willing to let that happen once more.  
They stayed like that for a while, but unlike all the other times when they had been silent, Kakashi spoke up.  
"Ne, Naruto. You did well today."  
Said boy looked up to his sensei who eye-smiled back at him.  
"I'm very proud of you."  
Naruto beamed at the praise.  
"Chōji told me about your fight. You did well as well, sensei. If those guys wouldn't have been near immortal, you would've taken out at least two of them."  
Kakashi chuckled.  
"Well, I do have a reputation, and I certainly did not win it in a raffle."

The blonde laughed and shook his head.  
"No, certainly not...", he mused and propped his chin onto the other's chest, looking at him, a soft smile on his features.  
The Jōnin pondered for a moment when an idea came up in his head. Naruto had trusted him with so many things, it was time to return that favour.  
"Oi, Naruto. How about I give you a little reward for everything you've done?"  
The teen looked at him for a moment before he narrowed his blue eyes.  
"You're not going to say something strange again, are you? Like the time we were training my wind chakra?"  
Kakashi couldn't help but laugh before he shook his head.  
"No worries, no worries. I actually thought about entrusting you with something of equal value like the trust you put in me."  
Now the blonde was curious and he propped himself up on his elbows. He was kind of straddling his teacher now, but that was unimportant.

When Kakashi slowly moved his hand towards his covered face, the blue eyes in front of him widened. He chuckled again and dipped a lone finger behind the dark fabric. He heard a small gasp when he started pulling it down, and when his face was completely revealed, the blond stopped breathing.  
Naruto stared at his teacher's face. It was... normal. Handsome, yes, but... normal. No buckteeth, or strange lips or anything.  
His nose was a little bit pointier than he'd expected, but well. Normal, thin lips, a normal chin. The scar that went down to his cheek. Fair, smooth skin.  
He frowned upon that, but decided this was not the right moment to ask about that.  
"Why do you hide it? I don't see a reason why." Naruto stated and tilted his head, still memorizing everything he could see. Who knew when he'd get another chance?  
Kakashi gently laughed, a little bit embarrassed, and a smile appeared on his lips, but before he could answer, the blonde _squealed_ and got up on his knees, his eyes nearly falling out of their sockets.  
"Dimples?!"

A faint blush appeared on the Jōnin's cheeks. He laughed awkwardly, the aforementioned dimples becoming more pronounced.  
"Ehehe, ano... They're kinda the reason I started wearing a mask."  
"Why?"  
"Well...", Kakashi scratched his cheek, still a bit embarrassed, "When I was a small kid most of the people I knew always made comments and cooed and all that. I was going to start the academy soon, and I kind of... figured that a good ninja should not be considered 'cute' or 'adorable', you know? So I hid them."  
"The fact that it made you look mysterious and badass was a bonus, I guess?" Naruto might have been able to form coherent sentences, but that still didn't mean he was able to tear his gaze away from the face in front of him. He heard another chuckle.  
"If you want to put it that way... I figured a few years later that it was stupid to hide them, but at that time I had already grown used to wearing a mask. It's one of my trademarks now."  
Naruto nodded. That was way more information than he'd expected, but who was he to complain? If his teacher was willing to share some personal information, he would definitely NOT be the person to decline that offer. Kakashi suddenly laughed, and really, Naruto couldn't help himself, but he _cooed_. He could somewhat understand the other's reasoning of hiding behind a mask, because really... it was damn cute. A term somewhat not fitting with the man in front of him, but still.

Said man rolled his eyes when he heard the sound, but the smile never left his lips.  
"Yes, wonderful. Where was I? Trademark, right. You won't believe it, but one time when I was on a mission to retrieve some goods stolen by a bunch of weak bandits, one of them actually pulled out a checklist when their boss announced the Copy Ninja had arrived."  
Naruto burst out laughing. Seriously?! A checklist? He was rewarded with another chuckle.  
"Yes, and the guy was then like 'Silver hair? Check. Left eye Sharingan? Check. Mask? Check.' And when he was done he turned to his boss and confirmed his assumption that I was indeed the Copy Ninja."  
Naruto laughed even harder, burying his face in the chest beneath him.  
"So you see? I can't stop wearing it, even if I wanted to." He laughed softly.  
They stayed silent for a while until the blonde lifted his face again, his blue eyes sparkling.  
"How many people know this?" He asked softly.  
"About my face? Three, you, me and Tsunade-sama. About the dimples? Only you and me."  
Naruto frowned, "Why doesn't she know about them?"  
Kakashi tilted his head before he put an arm under it as a pillow.  
"She has only seen it two or three times, when I was in hospital and she had to treat me. Not so many reasons to smile or laugh when I'm unconscious or in severe pain, ne? And besides, she is the only one brave enough to actually pull the mask down while treating me, the other Iryōnin usually just cut my clothes up, without removing the mask."

The Genin shook his head, amused. _Kinda figures_, he thought. After receiving so much information, he suddenly felt confident, and so he got up even further, really straddling his sensei now, and moved a hand to touch the smooth skin in the other's face.  
Kakashi peered at the finger moving over his cheek and arched an eyebrow. But, being the smart genius he was, he already knew the question his student was about to ask.  
"I never grew any facial hair."  
Naruto looked at him surprised and his finger stopped moving.  
"What?"  
"I said I never grew any facial hair. I'm wearing that mask ever since I was four, and I hardly ever took it off. So during puberty, I never really grew any facial hair, because of the mask. Not too bad I'd say, I don't think I'm the type for a beard."  
The blonde snorted in amusement.  
"Lucky bastard. Not in for a fancy moustache?"  
Now it was Kakashi's turn to snort, "Nah, sorry. I don't fancy looking like a roguish pimp."  
Naruto succumbed to his laughter and pressed his face into the older male's collarbone. They were both shaking in amusement.  
"I think I'll stay with - how did you put it? - 'mysterious' and 'badass'."

The blonde lifted his head an nodded his agreement, trying to look as sombre as possible, before opening his mouth again.  
"Yes, indeed. Otherwise some might think you're taking advantage of this poor, poor boy that I am", he snickered.  
Kakashi tilted his head, the lone opened eye full with joviality.  
"Maa, Naruto. Actually, right now it seems that you are taking advantage of me, eh?"  
Naruto nearly squealed (_To hell with the squealing, I'm a man!_) again when he saw how the Jōnin looked in a whole when he eye-smiled. Though it was awkward to admit, he could fully understand the older one's reasoning behind wearing that mask. But before he could explore _that_ thought any further, he forced himself to notice their position. He was still straddling his sensei.  
A blush appeared on his cheeks and he sat up, scratching his head in embarrassment.  
"I guess you're right."  
He climbed off his teacher and flopped down next to him. Naruto may have realized the former position was indeed kind of strange, but there was definitely no way in hell that he would leave the other's side at all.

Actually Kakashi didn't mind at all. He didn't care about what other's might say if they would have found them like that. He was proud to say that he and his student shared a deep bond, but well... He _did_ have a reputation, and it wouldn't do any good if people started thinking of them like they did of Gai and Lee. He inwardly shuddered. He liked Gai, he really did, but that man was plain creepy sometimes.  
He tugged his mask over his face again before snaking an arm around his student's shoulders and pulling him close, at the same time propping his head on his other hand . He felt Naruto grasping his hand and entwining their fingers like the last time. They stayed like this for a while, but after some time, the blonde spoke up again, his voice soft but still full of countless emotions.  
"Ne, Kakashi-sensei... Don't pull something like that off again."  
He sighed soundlessly. They both knew he couldn't keep a promise like that.  
"I'll try."  
Silence returned, and after some time passed, they both fell asleep, so unlike their previous 'moments'.

The next morning, shortly after the sun had risen, Yamato went to retrieve Kakashi for a Jōnin-meeting to discuss the further proceedings concerning their village. He knocked at the wooden door, but when he received no answer he simply shrugged and opened it. He entered the room, but stopped in his tracks when he saw the older male lying blissfully asleep on his bed. With the blonde Jinchūriki sprawled on top of him. He stared at the scene in front of him, barely hearing the soft snores, before a strange expression settled on his face. Determined, he walked over to the two to wake his former superior up, but only then he noticed some things.  
First, Naruto was chewing on Kakashi's shirt.  
Second, their both hand's fingers were entwined.  
And last, he couldn't remember one time either of them had looked so peaceful.

Yamato's expression softened, but that didn't mean he wasn't having a talk with Kakashi. And so, he carefully poked the other Jōnin until he stirred. For a split second, one dark eye looked at him unfocused before its owner snapped into full attention.  
"The Jōnin are meeting to discuss some things. I'm here to get you, senpai."  
Kakashi nodded and then looked at the teen on top of him. Careful, he shoved the blonde off him, and unsurprisingly, Naruto simply turned around, hugged the pillow and mumbled something in his sleep. He looked at his student for a moment, before he gazed at Yamato who simply turned around and left the hut again. One moment later, the older male stood next to him, fully dressed.  
"I guess this isn't the time to be late?" Kakashi asked dryly when they started walking. He nonchalantly pulled a small, green book from his pouch and snapped it open.  
"It's not, that's why they sent me to, I quote, 'drag your sorry ass here by force, if necessary'."  
The older male chuckled lightly.  
"Shikaku, I suppose? Not that he's the one to talk."  
The only answer he received was a short nod and they continued their way in silence. But when they neared their destination, Yamato spoke up again, his voice a little strained.  
"Senpai, I know this is none of my business, but... He's young, and do you really think it appropriate to maintain such a relationship in a ti-"  
The book in Kakashi's hands snapped close rather loudly, interrupting the other's words.  
"And what, pray tell, do you assume is this 'relationship'?" He asked, his voice laced with ice. Yamato shifted uncomfortably, he had grown to fear the other male when he was like that.  
"Well, from what I have seen, it's of the romanti-", he closed his mouth mid-sentence when he caught the other's eye. He shuddered inwardly.  
"I believe, _Tenzō_, I have taught you to not jump to conclusions, like you are doing now", Kakashi stated sharply, "Naruto and I merely share a mutual trust and understanding, not like it's any of your business. What we do is of no one's concern but our own, and I advise you to stay silent about it. Do I make myself clear?"  
"H-hai".  
Yamato gulped. He had heard that voice only once before in his life, on an ANBU mission. It had not been pretty.

* * *

The next time Kakashi and Naruto shared a moment was not in an apartment. Neither was it in a hospital or a wooden makeshift home, or even at night.  
It was in the middle of a roaring battlefield, surrounded by dead and dying bodies, blood and pure horror. They could hear people shouting, screaming, the earth rumbling and most of all their hearts pounding in their chests. The second their eyes locked however, the whole world seemed to stand still for a second.  
Naruto, covered by bright, red chakra, looked at his teacher with a strange expression in his eyes. He took in the other's features, strained with exhaustion, but determined to put an end to this once and for all. The cross-shaped cuts on his torso that were still bleeding and soaking his vest. He could hear Gai shouting something far away, see the huge Jūbi with the two Uchihas on top in the distance, sense Kirābī and Gyūki behind a thick veil of - what? Of what exactly? He didn't know, he did know however, that something bad was going to happen.  
And when he stared into the mismatched eyes a few metres away from him, a feeling of dread settled in his stomach. Before either of them knew what was happening, the blonde was moving and throwing his arms around his sensei.

Kakashi was about to say something, when suddenly 110 pounds worth of human flesh lay in his arms and his vision was blocked by a mess of illuminated, blonde hair he could barely make out behind the red chakra that covered it. It took him a split second to return the embrace forcefully, his mind barely registering the fact that his wounds were somewhat healing, simply because he was directly touching the Kyūbi's chakra.  
"Naruto..."  
"Don't you dare die on me now, sensei." He heard Naruto saying, something strange he couldn't quite make out lying in his voice, "I already lost Neji today. I don't think I'll be able to handle it if I lose you as well."  
His eyes widened when he felt something wet on his shoulder, and he suddenly _understood_. What he couldn't decipher mere moments ago, it was _fear._ Not the fear you feel when facing a strong enemy, but the fear of losing someone important, a feeling that could consume your very soul. To see Naruto with an emotion like this nearly made his heart shatter. He buried his face in the younger male's neck, nearly crushing him with the force of his embrace (not that Naruto was any better) and heard himself answering, his voice low and gentle.  
"Don't worry, we'll do this together."  
They let go again, and suddenly everything around them came crashing back. The noise, the stench, everything. Naruto took a deep breath and looked at his teacher one last time, ignoring the lingering feeling of foreshadowing in the pit of his stomach. He clenched his fist and dashed forward to rejoin the battle, just like nothing had happened at all.

* * *

Fin.

* * *

Huh, that's that. Though I might add another moment, depending on how the Manga progresses. I'll notifiy those who seem interested when the time comes.  
I hope you like it and leave a small review... I appreciate everything but pointless "Don't like it". If you don't, share what you didn't like so I can improve, easy as that. Unless it's because you don't like the characters, then you can go to hell for all I care. =D

I'd like to thank **LaughinConfusion** very much for proofreading this!

As always, don't own, don't earn, don't anything, sadly enough.

'Til next time~


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